The fall guy

Poor Jim Obazee. He was until Monday boss of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC). He lost his job barely 48 hours after the respected General Overseer (G.O) of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor E.A. Adeboye, stepped down for Pastor Joseph Obayemi as G.O, RCCG Nigeria. If only Obazee had known, he would not have been bent on implementing the code of corporate governance for not-for-profit organisations to which churches, mosques and civil society groups belong. Obazee appears to be a stickler for the rule.

He believes that things should be done in accordance with the law. Remember his spat with former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi? Obazee insisted that CBN is subject to the scrutiny of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC). He asked that the CBN should open its books to the FRC for vetting. Since that was under another era – an era in which Sanusi was not favoured by those in power – Obazee had his way not only in dealing with Sanusi, who is now the emir of Kano, but with those in the banking sector.

Obazee’s stock grew. After all, he was doing the job for which he was appointed. Before his coming, nobody knew anything about FRC. His activities brought the council to the limelight. Initially, we all mistook the council for the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) because of the similarity in their acronym. He changed all that as he gave FRC its own image within a short time of coming to office. He was passionate about his job and he insisted on playing by the rules. He threw the book at those who questioned his actions, telling them that, that is what the law says. He forgot that laws are made for man and not man for the law.

His insistence on implementing the governance code for religious organisations, many of which have today become profit-making bodies, may have cost him his job. He might have had good intentions on insisting that churches and mosques play by the rules, but he forgot that in a society like ours, there are exceptions to the rule. In a society where mega churches and mosques abound, the law cannot but be silent. This is what Obazee did not know. If he knew, he would have trodden softly in enforcing the law against them. He also forgot one thing and that is that virtually all our leaders are the spiritual children of these powerful clerics. So, how do you expect a spiritual child to correct his spiritual father?

The odds were against Obazee. Head or tail, he would lose. You cannot fight religious organisations and win. The faithful will tell you that will be tantamount to fighting God. Forget that many of these bodies may not be doing God’s will, but that does not matter to their members, who are die-hard believers in their spiritual fathers. Obazee may have suffered from misjudgement. He might have thought that since he was serving under a government – which is fighting corruption and other unethical practices – whatever he does in that regard would be appreciated.

If he could not enforce the governance code under the Jonathan administration, which appointed him, because of certain reasons, he might have thought that he could have his way under the Buhari administration, which has no special relationship with the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) leadership. From the word go, CAN has been against the implementation of the code, which it sees as interference in its members’ internal affairs. Its former president, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, criticised the law and used his connection then with Aso Villa to stop Obazee from moving against churches. Obazee’s hands were strengthened with the coming of the Buhari administration. The law can now take its course, he would have told himself and proceeded to implement it. Unknown to him, he was standing in the path of a moving train. The powerful whether in mainstream politics or outside it will always have their way.

But Obazee did not read the situation well before moving against the churches as development as shown following Pastor Adeboye’s exit as G.O, RCCG, Nigeria. Industry, Trade and Investment Minister Okechukwu Enelamah was said to have directed him to suspend the implementation of the code’s provision, stipulating 20 years tenure for heads of religious and civil society groups . But he was said to have replied that there is no gazette to that effect and as such the provision could not be suspended. Adeboye cited this provision when he stepped down for Obayemi, saying many other G.Os in his shoes will soon follow suit

Why did the minister want the code suspended? According to a newspaper report : ‘’There is an issue with the code of corporate governance and the minister wrote the FRC and told the council not to execute it because a lot of people from the private sector have complained about it. So, the minister wanted to look into it and see what the issues were. He (FRC boss) was asked not to go ahead with executing it. There is a controversy on that FRC issue and we are now looking into the matter to know what the issues are before we can finally take a decision. This is where the matter is currently’’. Denying the suspension of the code, the FRC said it is still in force. ‘’All the banks are complying with the code. If it has been suspended, why are they complying with it. The churches do not want it and that was why they went to court and they have lost’’.

One would have thought that a matter like this would have been pursued up to the Supreme Court. But, no, the churches did not do anything after losing at the high court. Perhaps, they opted for ‘’administrative’’ solution to avoid a lengthy legal battle. So, whose order was Obazee executing in implementing the code? Can he allow his personal interest to conflict with his official function? Why did he not comply with the minister’s directive to suspend the implementation of the code? Who is in charge – he or the minister? Was anything at stake in his implementation of the code? Obazee might have misread the situation and conferred himself with the power he did not have in implementing the code, thereby forcing Adeboye to quit as RCCG, Nigeria leader.

The government kept quiet for too long over this matter. If it had a position on the issue, did it make it clear to Obazee, who is expected to execute such decisions? Was the minister’s letter to him the government’s position? To avoid this kind of mess in future, which does not portray the government in good light, matters of this sensitive nature should be handled in public domain. By this, I mean the government should have made it known through the media that it has suspended the implementation of the code. If it had done so, Adeboye would not have resigned , thereby throwing Nigeria, nay the world, into a frenzy.

This turn of events at FRC is not good for the government. It shows that its house is not in order. If it was not Adeboye that resigned, would it still have sacrificed Obazee for ‘overreaching’ himself ? Blame not Obazee, but the government for this misadventure.